Inkjet printheads require regular servicing in order to maintain the printheads and the quality of print jobs. Although there are many types of servicing systems and service stations, three pen service procedures involve wiping, spitting and capping. Wiping is a process by which the printhead nozzles are engaged with a scraper, typically rubber, to clean accumulated ink and debris off the nozzles. Spitting is a step that involves positioning the printheads over a waste ink receptacle—a spittoon—and causing the inkjet printhead to eject a volume of ink through the nozzles into the spittoon. Spittoons are simply receptacles that collect the waste ink. Sometimes spittoons are lined with absorbent material to retain the waste ink. Capping involves positioning the printheads in physical contact with a closely fitting cap—typically rubber or some other elastomer—to maintain a controlled atmosphere environment around the printheads during periods of inactivity.
Many inkjet printer service stations are configured for performing each of these three servicing tasks, and there are many variations in the order and frequency of the three servicing tasks. However, printhead servicing does not address issues relating to ink supply for the pen.